Thursday, July 17, 2003
Oregon Daily Emerald
PULSE
Aaron Shakra
Art falls apart
Artistic
mentality
can drive
creation
Art does not exist in a vacuum — for
those who allow it into their lives, anyway.
There is a portion of the populace who
have become alienated from an artistic life
because they view it as something dispen
sable and separate. As if art is over in one
comer — here is art, and here is living —
and the twain only meet optionally.
This is simply not so. I am here today
to equate art to life, and life to art, and say:
They are one and the same.
Citizens and governments within the
"civilized" Western world are increasingly
conforming to nonexistent standards and
riding on unparalleled heights of con
sumerism at the expense of the majority,
of the rest of humanity. It only makes
sense that the current delivery methods of
artistic expression — film, painting, writ
ing and so on — reflect these values and
sensibilities. The result is, predictably, a
highly disposable product that lacks origi
nality, heart and enthusiasm.
In other words, it's absolutely dead on
arrival. Stop me if you've heard this
one before. The only value is numbing
entertainment, distraction, frequently
propagating prejudice, status and
snap judgments.
The summer movie season, now in full
swing, is always a prime example. Year af
ter year, more of the same time-wasting
dreck is hurled out to be remembered
briefly then quickly forgotten. Or even
worse, it is reified by the consumer as
something important, and a place to con
tinually focus attention. For example, let
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life
forever endear your heart by buying the
poster and action figure.
But, really, the movie theater is the Ma
trix, and we are willingly plugging our
selves in, even as the film bangs you over
the head with a metaphorical frying pan.
This screams of how willingly distracted
and conformed we are becoming.
I know this perhaps sounds extreme.
It really isn't my place to judge one thing
as art and one thing as not art. All I can
do with this column is trace themes, and
hope readers can fill in the rest with de
tails from their own lives. I don't want to
alienate anyone, I just want people to ap
peal to their hearts for a truer form of art,
one that permeates every modicum of
our lives. Art should not be pretentious;
art is about awareness, and awareness is
a continual process.
Then again, it is not about any one thing.
One art form does not exist higher than an
other; one piece is not better than another.
Art encompasses the entire spectrum of
forms. It is about creation and expression of
everything. Of course, you jest, this could be
anything. But I leave it to non-conformed
souls to decide what I'm talking about, and
merely say: The products being pushed by
corporate pimps are absolutely lifeless and
Turn to Shakra, page 10
Musical mid-year
Eugene will play host to dozens of musical artists this summer,
in genres from rock to bluegrass and reggae to folk
By Ryan Nyburg
Freelance Reporter
Summer is concert season: a time when the big name tours roll,
Sherman-like, across the country, and the smaller venues are packed
with acts aiming for the big time. I lere are some of the concerts to an
ticipate in the Eugene area this summer.
The McDonald Theatre, one of Eugene's few medium-sized venues,
has a wide range of acts for the summer. Canadian singer/songwriter
Bruce Cockbum will be playing July 31, Grateful Dead interpreter Dark
Star Orchestra will be in concert August 4, Funk outfit Tower of Power
will be playing August 11, Bela Fleck and the Elecktones will be per
forming August 16 and Grammy-winning reggae legend Burning
Spear will appear September 15.
Fickets for McDonald Theatre shows are available in advance at
TicketsWest outlets, or at the McDonald Theatre box office the day
of the show.
The WOW 1 lall also has a bevy of shows planned for the summer.
On July 18, local punk outfit Bastard Saints will have a CD release
party with special guests PB Army, Not a Part of It and Dirty Rigs.
International Reggae System will be performing July 19, with special
guest Zawadi. Art rock act Clem Snide will be playing July 20, along
with The Long Winters and Portland's The Carolines. Popular art
music act The Trachtenburg Slideshow Players will be playing July
23. July 25 has local rockers The Koozies and Toad in the I lole per
forming. Popular Portland-based rockers Floater will be playing Au
gust 2. Country singer/songwriter Robert Earl Keen will be perform
ing August 9.
Tickets for WOW 1 lall shows are available at various outlets around
Eugene, including CD World, Face the Music, House of Records, La
Tiendita & Taco Loco and the University Ticket Office, as well as the
Community Center for the Performing Arts Box Office.
For those looking for larger shows, the Cuthbert Amphitheater
has a few big-name performances planned. July 21 brings Crosby,
Stills & Nash to Eugene, and July 22 brings singer/songwriter lack
son Browne, along with Keb' Mo' and Steve Earle. Tori Amos, with
special guest Ben Folds, will be in concert July 27. Tickets are avail
able at the Huh Center Ticket Office and the University Ticket Of
fice, or at the Cuthbert Amphitheater Ticket Office an hour before
show time.
Fairs and festivals also offer opportunities for concert-goers. The
Lane County Fair, which runs Aug. 12-17, has some of the biggest
tickets of the summer. I leart will be performing Aug. 12, the Beach
Boys Aug. 13, Sixpence None the Richer Aug. 14, Rascal Flatts Aug.
15 and Lonestar Aug. 16. On Sunday, the closing day of the fair,
there will be a free funk and salsa show, featuring Pepe & The Bot
tle Blondes and Hit Explosion. Tickets are available at Tickets
West outlets.
If you are looking for a lower-key show, Sam Bond's Garage might
have what you need. July 18 brings accordionist Jason Webley, July 19
Eric Layton Emerald
has banjo picker Danny Barnes and on July 20 Tony Kaltenberg will
have a CD release party. Also, every Tuesday the venue hosts free blue
grass jam. Tickets for all shows are available at the door.
Another of the smaller venues, John 1 lenry's, will also be hosting a
few concerts during the summer. July 22 brings Scotch Greens, with
Mike Walker and Pellet Gun. On July 26 the Eric McEadden Trio will
be playing the venue for the fourth time. McEadden is the guitarist and
mandolinist for George Clinton/Parliament Funkadelic. Organic As
sault Weapon will open the concert. Tickets are available at the door.
All events at John I lenry's are 21 and older.
Ryan Nyburg is a freelance reporter for the Emerald.
Gabe Finch Courtesy
My House organizers (clockwise from upper-left) Inga Markstrom, Jesse
3arlick, Carly Boyer and Marc Moscato.
Closing art venue
to host free event
Local art pad My House, host to dozens
of events over the last year, is closing
after its owner decided to sell the space
By Ryan Nyburg
Freelance Reporter
"I was just thinking of how many
people have passed through our base
ment," said Marc Moscato, an organizer
and agent provocateur of local inde
pendent art venue My 1 louse. "It must
have been thousands."
Moscato has reason for reflection. After
hosting more than 40 events during 13
months, the humble My 1 louse venue will
close its doors. Moscato formed the venue
with the house's owner, Jesse Gar lick, who
recently decided to sell the property. My
House has presented everything from in
dependent films to zine workshops to al
most any musical act capable of perform
ing in a basement.
"I came out here from Buffalo, New
York, about two years ago and realized
that there were no venues for independent
arts," said Moscato, a recent University
graduate. "I felt there were all these things
that Eugene lacked. Soon 1 met others
with die same frustrations, and things be
gan to take off."
Local, national and international music
acts, along with internationally acclaimed
artists, filmmakers, cartoonists and zine
writers have all made appearances at the
humble basement of Moscato and his fel
low organizers Garlick, Inga Markstrom,
Carly Boyer and Erik Kessler.
The group has also hosted events out
side of the basement. One of these, the
"No War" art show held in March, attract
ed hundreds of patrons and artists.
"(As a measure of its success,) it didn't
stop the war. But it was an opportunity to
Turn to My House, page 10